Edinburgh Council develops repairs app for shared properties

edinburgh viewCity of Edinburgh Council is developing an app to support residents in shared properties in keeping their buildings in good condition.

image: for illustration purposes only – Fiona Newton

UKAuthority writes:

It has been working with technology company Novoville on the project, which is one of those to receive support from the Scottish Government under its CivTech Challenge programme.

The app will enable residents to communicate with each other in progressing repairs and maintenance of buildings they jointly own.

The council said it will create a digital version of a tenement, allowing users to report on issues and send them out to a surveyor or trade to get a survey or quotations.

Each property owner will have online access to the information in a secure closed group. This is aimed at making it easier for people to make quick decisions and sign up to get work done.

The original challenge set by the council in the CivTech programme was ‘How can we use technology to manage the property condition of communal areas in privately owned tenements?’

Edinburgh Council said the app will now be tested in the market for release for general use by the end of the summer.

Urgent need

Councillor Alasdair Rankin, convenor of the council’s finance and resources committee, said: “Edinburgh has around 170,000 tenement flats and other shared buildings with multiple owners. Many of these buildings are still in need of urgent repair. This app will make it much easier for owners to engage and take responsibility for this.

“Edinburgh is already leading the way in this area. Our shared repairs team is doing a fantastic job and is a member of the parliamentary working group on this issue. They help people who live in shared buildings through the steps they need to take to carry out repairs to their properties properly.

“The app takes this a step further. It’s about us making use of the legislation that we have so owners can communicate with each other on an instant digital platform to make it easier for them to keep their buildings in a good state of repair.”

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